GB2444743A

GB2444743A - Computer implemented virtual shopping store

Info

Publication number: GB2444743A
Application number: GB0624671A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David John Macdonald
Original assignee: DIGITATI Ltd
Current assignee: DIGITATI Ltd
Priority date: 2006-12-11
Filing date: 2006-12-11
Publication date: 2008-06-18
Also published as: GB0624671D0

Abstract

An internet-based computer implemented virtual shopping store, for example a 3-D virtual supermarket, is provided. One aspect concerns an on-line shopping web-site, wherein graphics representative of a multiplicity of different products are shown at the user's computer from a single image downloaded from a server. The downloading from the server of further information concerning a product may be downloaded to the local computer later by means of a user input device associated with the local computer. Another aspect concerns the layering of digital movies to provide a quick method of producing digital walkthroughs in the virtual store. Another aspect concerns a method of creating a 3-D virtual store 232 from planogram data 202 and vice versa.

Description

Computer Implemented Improvements to a Virtual Shopping Store The

present invention relates to computerised representations of a shopping store. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to means for enabling online shopping in a virtual environment, creating movie clips representing 3-0 movement through such virtual environments and tools for converting between data representing such virtual environments in 3-D and a database representing actual layouts of products in actual stores. The present invention has particular application in relation to department stores and embodiments of the invention relate to shopping in a virtual supermarket and virtual supermarket environments.

Online shopping websites are becoming increasingly popular and offer a convenient way for consumers to purchase goods. However, as has been recognised by various publications available in the public domain, including for example WO 02/071283 and US 6,381,583, there is a desire to improve the shopping experience as perceived by the consumer. Proposals have included creating a virtual shopping facility from an actual shopping facility, so as to replicate as closely as possible the look and feel ot a real shop and the shopping experience perceived by a consumer in a real shop (see for example US 6,381,583). Such proposals have, however, relied on digitising actual footage of real stores, thus creating large amounts of data, requiring extremely high connection speeds for such images to be viewed in real time by a user of an online shopping website, have suffered from being difficult to change in the event of changing requirements of the owner or manager of the online shopping website, and/or have for other reasons not been particularly practical or easy to implement with today's commonly used technology.

It seems that the vast majority of currently available on-line shopping web-sites operate in much the same way. A user may find an item to purchase (i)by means of navigating through a series (arranged as a tree data structure) of text-based menus, (ii) by means of browsing text-based lists of previously purchased items, or (iii) by means of typing a text-based enquiry into a search tool provided on the web-site. It is thought that the average consumer finds that searching for items to purchase in this manner is cumbersome, time-consuming and boring. As mentioned above, suggestions have been made to recreate the shopping experience felt by a consumer in the real world, by replicating the images seen and actions undertaken as closely as possible in the virtual world. Simulating a real store on a server, allowing interaction between the user and the virtual store and streaming moving images of such a virtual 3-D environment to a PC is not a simple task. Moreover, the typical bandwidths reliably available to the average broadband internet user are still only of the order of a few Mbits/sec. There are therefore real technical problems that need to be solved in order to make such a proposal feasible.

The present invention provides, according to a first aspect of the invention, a method of providing information to a user of an on-line shopping web-site, wherein the method enables visually interesting and informative images concerning virtual products on a virtual shelf to be downloaded quickly and then displayed to the user, whilst deferring the downloading of other large amounts of further data concerning such products until such time as such further data is required by the user. The method according to this first aspect of the invention includes the following steps: receiving at a local computer, from a computer server via a network connection, visual data in respect of a multiplicity of different products, the local computer displaying, on a display screen visible by the user, graphic representations of each of the multiplicity of different products, the graphic representation of each product displayed being represented simultaneously in a multiplicity of different positions on-screen, the user selecting one of the multiplicity of different products by means of a user input device associated with the local computer, the local computer sending a request for further information concerning the product selected by the user, in response to the request sent by the loèal computer, further data being received by the local computer, from the computer server via the network connection, and the local computer providing the further information concerning the product selected by the user to the user via an output device associated with the computer.

The method thus presents the user with initial images of a multiplicity of products in a timely fashion.

The graphic representation of each product displayed is represented simultaneously in a multiplicity of different positions on-screen. Such repeated images may provide the user with a view similar to that presented in a real store, where many identical products are grouped next to each other, for example on shelves. Many products these days are readily recognisable by means of the shape of the product or its packaging and the associated branding or get-up. Also, the data defining a graphic representation of a product may be reused in displaying the differently-positioned graphic representations of the same product on-screen. Thus, surprisingly low amounts of data are needed to be transferred from the server to the local computer in order to populate a screen's worth of different products. Whilst further data is likely to be needed before the user is able to decide whether or not to purchase a given product represented by an on-screen graphic representation, deferring the downloading of such data until it is actually needed provides several possible advantages. Firstly, further data concerning products of no interest to the user need never be transferred from the server to the local computer, thereby possibly reducing the amount of data transferred.

Secondly, the image provided to the user may be less cluttered with text-heavy information. Thirdly, and as mentioned above, the screen showing the products available may be provided sooner than might otherwise be the case. Lastly, if the user is familiar with the graphic representation used for a particular product, it may be selected for purchase without needing, at that stage at least, to provide any further information concerning the product.

The graphic representations are preferably 2-D images. The 2-D images may of course be representative of a product in 3-D and be 2-D in the sense that the image represents a single view of the product. The graphic representations preferably include transparency information. 2-D computerised images are often in the form of rectangular images, whereas products come in a variety of shapes. In order for the display on-screen of the graphic representations of the products to appear life-like it is important for the images to have transparency information so that the edges of the virtual product are well-defined. The graphic representations may have been created by photographing real products and converting the photograph, whether digital or otherwise, into suitable data-files. The photographs may be modified to produce the graphic representations. The graphic representations may be rendered at least in part by means of a computer graphics system. For example, a representation of a bottle may be created by photographing a flat label taken from a real bottle, providing a computer generated image or model of a bottle, modifying the 2-D representation of the label and adding it to the computer generated image/model of the bottle to create an image of a virtual bottle.

Each graphic representation may be in the form of data concerning an array of pixels. The graphic representation preferably does not include any encoded-text data (i.e. a series of data codes representative of successive characters of text, each unique character in a character-set being represented by a different code, for example ASCII codes) . It will however be understood that text appearing on the packaging of a virtual product may be represented graphically without the provision of encoded-text data.

The further data received by the local computer may include encoded-text data.

The further data received by the local computer may include graphics data. The further data received by the local computer may comprise a higher quality graphic representation of the product. The higher quality graphic representation may be of higher quality in the sense that the image is of higher resolution. The higher quality graphic representation may be of higher quality in the sense that the number of colours in the image is greater. The higher quality graphic representation may be of higher quality in the sense that the image may provide a means for interaction with the user. Such interaction may, for example, be by means of manipulation of the virtual product in virtual 3-D space. The manipulation of the virtual product in virtual 3-D space may include moving the whole object with at least two degrees of freedom. Rotation about at least two different axes may be provided. Translational movement in two non-parallel directions may be provided. The ability to zoom in and out may be provided. The interaction may allow the user to dissemble the product.

For example, the interaction may allow the user to view the product absent its packaging. The higher quality graphic representation may be of higher quality in the sense that the image includes animated features.

The amount of data required to represent the higher quality graphic representation of the product may be at least twice as great as the data required to represent the initial graphic representation of the product. The data may be at least five times as great and may even be at least an order of magnitude greater.

The further data received by the local computer may include data providing further information concerning the product, for example its characteristics, its uses, its origins, its history, its components or ingredients, its manufacturers or the like. Such information may include web-links to other web-sites or web-pages providing information concerning the product.

The input device may be in the form of a mouse, roller-ball, light pen, joystick, keyboard, microphone or any other suitable apparatus. The action of the user selecting one of the multiplicity of different products may thus be performed by, for example, moving an on-screen pointer over the virtual product to be selected, possibly pressing a button (such as a key on a key-board or a mouse button) and/or dragging the virtual product to another location on-screen.

The output device associated with the computer may be in the form of a display screen, for example the same display screen as the display screen on which the graphic representations of each of the multiplicity of different products are initially displayed.

The network connection may be provided by means of the internet (the worldwide web) . The movement of data between the server and the local computer may be transferred at broad-band rates. For example, the movement of data between the server and the local computer may be transferred at rates of the order of Mbits/sec. For example, the movement of data from the server to the local computer may be transferred at a downlink data-transfer rate of greater than 256Bits/sec and possibly at a downlink rate of greater than Sl2kBits/sec. The advantages afforded by embodiments of the present invention may be less pronounced at very high connection speeds, because there may no longer be benefit, depending on file sizes of course, in deferring the downloading of data. Embodiments of the invention may be of benefit at downlink speeds of less than 32Mbits/sec, and of possibly greater benefit at downlink speeds of less than l6Mbits/sec.

The method of the first aspect of the invention is of particular application in relation to an on-line department store or on-line supermarket, for example where items for sale are often displayed in groups of identical items, for example on shelves.

The present invention also provides a network by means of which the method of the invention may be performed.

According to the first aspect of the invention there is provided a network comprising a server and a local computer linked by means of a network connection. The local computer may comprise a display screen and a user input device. The local computer may be programmed with software to enable the local computer to perform steps of the method of the invention. The software may be downloadable from the server. The software downloadable from the server may be downloaded via an Internet browser on the local computer. The software may form part of, or modify, a plug-in module on the local computer. The software for the local computer may comprise a module for receiving from the server visual data in respect of a multiplicity of different products. The software for the local computer may comprise a module for displaying, on the display screen, graphic representations of each of the multiplicity of different products, the graphic representation of each product displayed being represented simultaneously in a multiplicity of different positions on-screen. The software for the local computer may comprise a module for enabling the selection of one of the multiplicity of different products, for example, by means of a user input device connected to the computer. The software for the local computer may comprise a module for sending to the server a request for further information concerning a selected product. The software for the local computer may comprise a module for receiving from the server further data representing further information concerning the product. The software for the local computer may comprise a module for providing the further information concerning the product selected by the user to the user, for example via an output device associated with the computer.

The server may have access to data files concerning visual data concerning a multiplicity of different products. The server may have access to data files concerning further information concerning a multiplicity of different products. The data files may be stored on the server, for example on a hard disk. The server may be programmed with software to enable the server to perform steps of the method of the invention. The software for the server may comprise a module for sending, for example to a computer at a specified address in a network, visual data in respect of a multiplicity of different products. The software for the server may comprise a module for receiving from the local computer a request for further information concerning a product.

The software for the server may comprise a module for sending to the local computer further data representing further information concerning the product.

The software modules described herein may share components with other modules and two or more of the modules may of course be combined to form a single module.

The server may also have access to software modules for use on the local computer so that, on request, such software modules can be downloaded from the server to a local computer and then installed on the local computer.

The software mentioned herein may of course be provided separately from either a server or a local computer. Such software may be supplied as a software product in/on which the software is recorded. The software product may, for example, be in the form of RAM, a CD-Rom, a DVD-Rom, a hard-disk, a memory stick or other memory or storage device. The software may be provided by means of transferring data from one computer to another.

The server and local computer may be located in different countries.

The present invention also provides according to other aspects of the invention different, but related, subject matter concerning computerised representations of a virtual shopping store.

In order to make the shopping experience an enjoyable one for the user, the invention provides a method of producing digital movies for display during use by the user of an on-line shopping web-site. Such movie clips may be displayed to represent movement to or from one location in the virtual store from or to a different location. It is desirable for such movie clips to be of high quality so that the user enjoys viewing the movie clip instead of considering it time wasting and boring.

Such footage can be generated by any suitable means including for example by means of using a video camera to capture real footage or by means of computer-generating, at least partially, the footage. The generation of such movie clips tends however to be expensive and time consuming in view of the quality of images required.

Once footage has been generated it is therefore undesirable to have to change it. If for example the appearance of a product has changed it may be necessary to change the affected movie clips in order to reflect the change in the product appearance in the movie clips.

Reshooting real footage or regenerating with CGI techniques replacement footage could be very expensive and/or time-consuming in view of the limited impact of the change on the movie clip as a whole. Providing a virtual environment in which a user can roam freely and which is rendered in real-time by a server or by the local computer is not a practical solution in view of today's average bandwidth and processor speeds, even though making a limited change in such a virtual environment would be relatively easy and speedy. There are, of course, other uses for movie clips concerning movement in a virtual 3-D shopping store. For example, movie clips may be produced to illustrate proposed changes in layout or appearance of a real store interior or to illustrate the layout or appearance of an interior of a store that is to be created in real life.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of producing digital movies, for example of the interior of a virtual shopping store, wherein the method comprises the steps of making a first digital movie of movement along a set path through a first three-dimensional environment, the first three-dimensional environment comprising a multiplicity of different objects, the digital movie being recorded as computer readable data by means of a first computer system, a second computer using the computer readable data concerning the first digital movie to display the first digital movie on a display device attached to the second computer, the second computer being different from the first computer system and being in the form of a personal computer, making a second digital movie of movement along the same set path through a second three-dimensional environment, the second three-dimensional environment being based on the first three-dimensional environment but comprising at least one different object that represents a difference between the first and second three-dimensional environments, the making of the second digital movie comprising the steps of: -creating with a third computer an overlay digital movie of movement along the same set path, the overlay digital movie relating to the relative movement of said at least one different object, and -combining the computer readable data relating to the first digital movie with data concerning the overlay digital movie to produce computer readable data concerning the second digital movie, and a fourth computer using the computer readable data concerning the second digital movie to display the second digital movie on a display device attached to the fourth computer, by playing the first digital movie with the overlay digital movie being overlaid on top of the first digital movie.

Thus, the second digital movie may be created from (i) the first digital movie and (ii) an overlay digital movie in a relatively quick and straightforward manner.

The changes from the first digital movie to the second digital movie are defined by the overlay movie. The first and second digital movies may be high quality movies, thereby allowing a further high quality movie to be produced from a first original high quality movie without needing to expend the same effort as expended in producing the original movie. It is appreciated that layering of video images is a known technique in other arts, but according to this aspect of the present invention, the laying of an overlay movie on top of the first movie results in the recycling of the first movie.

The first movie is advantageously a finished movie in its own right. The layering process is not therefore necessarily part of the process used to generate the first movie and may merely be a means of reusing an existing finished movie to produce a modified movie.

The first computer system may be in the form of a super computer or a mini-computer. The first computer system may comprise a multiplicity of parallel processors. The first computer system may comprise a plurality of computers, for example a plurality of PCs.

The first computer system may be in the form of a render farm. The first three-dimensional environment may be a vrtual three-dimensional environment defined as a computerised 3-D model. The first digital movie may be generated at least in part by means of simulating movement through a virtual three-dimensional environment, for example by use of the first computer system. The generation of the digital movie may include rendering of frames of the movie by means of the first computer system, for example by use of the first computer system.

The digital movie may include an image of a real product derived from a photograph of such a product. The photograph may be in the form of a frame from video footage. The photograph may be modified to produce a 3-D model of the product. The 3-D model of the product may be rendered at least in part by means of a computer graphics system, for example defined by the first computer system. For example, a 3-D model of a bottle may be created by photographing a flat label taken from a real bottle, providing a computer generated 3-D image of a bottle and modifying the 2-D representation of the label and adding it to the computer generated image of the bottle to produce a 3-D model defined partly by data defining the geometry of the bottle and partly by data representing the label.

The third computer could be the same as, or form a part of, the first computer system. The third computer is preferably different from the second computer.

The second computer preferably does not form a part of the first computer system. The second and fourth computers could be the same computer. The second and fourth computers could be different computers. The fourth computer may be in the form of a personal computer (a PC) . The fourth computer is preferably different from, and preferably does not form a part of, the first computer system. The fourth computer is preferably different from the third computer.

Said at least one different object may be in the form of a product that has changed in appearance, or which has packaging that has changed in appearance. Said at least one different object may be in the form of a sign or label relating to products. Such a sign or label may relate to special offers or to price information, such signs or labels being subject to frequent change.

Said at least one different object that has changed in appearance may be in the form of the virtual structure or furniture of the virtual store. The structure may for example comprise the floor, walls and ceiling of the virtual store. The furniture of the virtual store may for example comprise shelves, racks, chiller units, freezer compartments, display stands, gondolas, light fittings, checkout areas, and the like.

The method of the second aspect of the invention may have application when a real product is changed and it is desirable to reflect the change in a movie. Such a change may be made without affecting the look of the rest of the virtual store. As such this application of the present invention may be of use to a single virtual store, for example, a supermarket's on-line web-site.

The signs and labels associated with the products may be changed. Such a change may be made without affecting the identity and location of products in the virtual store. As such this application of the present invention may be of use to a supplier of in-store movie clips, because a movie created for one undertaking in a given sector (selling a common set of products) can be reused for an unrelated undertaking in the same sector (selling the same common set of products), by changing the appearance of the in-store labels and signs to match those of the new unrelated undertaking. The structure may also be changed, for example by changing the colour and/or material forming the virtual floors, walls and/or ceilings.

The step of combining (i) the computer readable data relating to the first digital movie with (ii) the data concerning the overlay digital movie to produce computer readable data concerning the second digital movie, may be effected in such a way as to be reversible. Thus, the computer readable data concerning the second digital movie may comprise data from which the overlay digital movie may be extracted. The computer readable data relating to the first digital movie may, additionally or alternatively, comprise data from which separate video layers may be extracted. The combination of the first movie and the overlay movie may for example be in the form of the combination of a third digital movie with the overlay digital movie, the third digital movie sharing a layer of video footage with the first digital movie.

Thus, the step of combining the computer readable data relating to the first digital movie with data concerning the overlay digital movie to produce computer readable data concerning the second digital movie according to the second aspect of the invention may be performed by means combining the computer readable data concerning the third digital movie with data concerning the overlay digital movie. The computer readable data relating to the first digital movie may be in the form of computer readable data from which the first digital movie may be reproduced.

Alternatively, the step of combining (i) the computer readable data relating to the first digital movie with (ii) the data concerning the overlay digital movie may be irreversible, in that it is not possible, solely from the computer readable data concerning the second digital movie, to extract data relating only to the overlay digital movie.

The method of the second aspect of the invention is of particular application in relation to movies concerning a virtual department store or a virtual supermarket, for example where movies are played to represent movement between one location in the virtual store to a different location. The virtual store may form at least part of an on-line shopping web-site. The virtual store may form at least part of a model of a real store, either an existing store or a store to be built at a later date.

The second computer may retrieve the computer readable data from a computer (not necessarily being or forming a part of the first computer system) via a network connection, for example via the Internet.

Similarly, the fourth computer may retrieve the computer readable data from a computer (not necessarily being or forming a part of the first computer system or the third computer) via a network connection, for example via the Internet.

Three dimensional layouts of supermarkets, department stores or the like are sometimes used in order to assist managers or store designers in creating or changing the appearance or layout of a store interior.

In the supermarket industry, the location and identity of products in the store is carefully controlled and managed. Store managers often utilise paper-based

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planograms in order to instruct staff concerning where particular stock should be placed and displayed in store.

US 2005/0256726 describes using a collection of planograrns to definethe layout of a store and using such data in conjunction with an inventory system. The use of planograrns is common in the art and many supermarkets routinely design and maintain store layouts with the assistance of paper-based planograms. Paper-based planograms are often supplemented by means of simple spreadsheets and there exist systems for producing 2-D planograms, of the sort disclosed US 2005/0256726, from such spreadsheets. The two-dimensional planograms commonly used in the art are cumbersome, difficult to comprehend, difficult to maintain and do not readily provide a quick means of visualising the layout of a store.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of creating a 3-D virtual store from planogram data and additionally a method of creating planogram data from a 3-D virtual store. In accordance with this third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of creating a 3-D virtual store from planogram data, wherein the method includes the steps of: a) providing a first data structure representing a planogram, the first data structure including a plurality of sets of bay data, each set representing a bay of shelves, and including a plurality of sets of shelf data, each set -representing a plurality of products, * -including a unique product reference code for each different product, and -being sufficient to define the spatial positioning and identity of the products on the shelf, b) providing a second data structure comprising a plurality of visual representations of products, each unique product reference code of the first data structure corresponding to a different visual representation in the second data structure, and C) generating a 3-D store from the first and second data structures by i) defining the location in the virtual store of a bay for each of the bays represented by the plurality of sets of bay data, ii) building in virtual space, bays of virtual shelves at the locations so defined, and iii) populating each virtual shelf with visual representations of products, the spatial positioning and identity of the products on the virtual shelf being derived from the shelf data of the first data structure, the shelf data corresponding to the virtual shelf being so populated, and the visual representation of the product being retrieved from the second data structure on the basis of the unique reference code concerning the product as derived from the shelf data of the first data structure.

Thus, in accordance with this third aspect of the present invention, a virtual 3-D supermarket may be generated quickly by means of using planograms that have already been created for a real supermarket in conjunction with a definition of the location of bays in the virtual store and images of virtual product corresponding to those products represented by the planograms.

Each set of shelf data includes information sufficient to define the special positioning of the products on the shelf. Such information may include the position on the shelf of each product. Such information by include a dimension of the product. Such information may include the number of products to be placed in a particular direction from a starting position on the virtual shelf. The shelf data may include information concerning the location of the space allocated for a given product having a unique product reference code.

The number and arrangement o.f such products in that area may be implicit from the size of the space and the size of the product. The first data structure may include information concerning the characteristics of a product corresponding to each unique product reference code.

Such information may, for example, include the dimensions of the product, or the space required to store the product (for example, the product envelope) . The step of generating a 3-D store from the first and second data structures may include using data dictating the position in three dimensions of each product. The step of generating a 3-D store from the first and second data structures may include defining the product envelope in three dimensions for each product. The step of generating a 3-D store from the first and second data structures may define the scale/size of each product in the 3-D virtual environment. The step of generating a 3-D store from the first and second data structures may define the number of products showing the same unique product reference code to be positioned in a particular volume in the virtual space. The information/data required in order to enable the 3-D store generating step to take account of such variables/factors may form part of the first data structure, may form part of the second data structure or may form part of a third data structure, or even further plural data structures. Such data may in part be implicitly disclosed in either the first data structure or second data structure. For example, the size/scale of a product may be defined by the size/scale of the visual representation of the product of the second data structure. For example, the visual representation may be defined by means of a coordinate system and such coordinate systems may have a fixed scale relative to the scale of the virtual store.

The scale of the virtual store may similarly be to scale as compared with a real store and real products. The size of products may be implicit from the first data structure. For example, if the first data structure dictates that three products are to be placed on a shelf between two spaced apart points, then it may be deduced that the product envelope is such that three products may be positioned side by side within such a distance. It may, for example, be implied that the width of the product is simply a third of the distance between the two points. The number of products to be stored side by side along the shelf may also be implicit. If the planogram represented by the first data structure states that products having a width X should be arranged along a shelf space having a width 3X then it may be deduced that three produced should be placed side by side on the shelf space.

The bay data may include data concerning the length, height and/or separation of the shelves.

The method may of course, include further steps of defining the location in the virtual store of other * features of the store. For example, further products may be added to the store that are not displayed on shelves and which stand alone. The first data structure may include further sets of data relating to the position and location of such products in the store.

Further data may be used in performing the method including data concerning display characteristics such as plinth dimensions and the like.

The third aspect of the present invention also provides a method of creating planogram data from a computerised model of a 3-D virtual store. Accordingly, there is provided a method of creating planogram data from a 3-0 virtual store, wherein the method includes the steps of: a) providing a 3-D virtual store defined by: i) bay data defining the location in the virtual store of a plurality of virtual bays, each bay having a plurality of virtual shelves, ii) shelf data defining the location in the virtual bays the position of each of its virtual shelves, iii) product data defining the location and identity of each of a multiplicity of virtual products on each virtual shelf, and iv) a data structure comprising a plurality of visual representations of the virtual products, and b) creating planogram data in respect of a virtual bay represented by a set of bay data by storing planograrn data, for each shelf, in a database, * the planogram data representing the height of the shelf, * the planogram data including a unique product reference code for each different product on the shelf, * * the planogram data being sufficient to define the spatial positioning and identity of the products on the shelf, the planogram data being created from the shelf data and the product data that defines at least in part the virtual store.

Thus, a new planogram set may be created from the data needed to define a 3-D virtual store and a 3-D virtual store may be readily created from a set of planogram spreadsheets. Furthermore, changes to one of the 3-D virtual store and the planogram data may be reflected by automatically making corresponding changes in the other 3-D virtual store and the planogram data.

Such functionality may be of assistance when a store manager wishes to change the layout of a store, in that the changes to the layout of the store can be viewed in a 3-D virtual environment before making any changes in the real store, and then once the 3-d virtual layout is approved by the manager, replacement planograms may be produced from the updated planogram data for use by staff in relocating stock on shelves in the store.

The correspondence between planogram data and a computerised model of a 3-D virtual store may be facilitated by means of providing a common data structure from which it is possible to generate either planogram data or a computerised model of a 3-D virtual store.

Such a common data structure will of course comprise data sufficient to define the spatial positioning and identity of the products on the shelf, whether represented as a planogram or as a 3-D virtual store. Such a common data structure may comprise bay data, shelf data and product data as described herein. Such a common data structure may comprise a plurality of visual representations of the virtual products. Such a common data structure may

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comprise a unique product reference codes for each different product in the common data structure.

According to the third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of generating a computer model of a 3-D virtual store from such a common data structure. The generating of the computer model of the 3-D virtual store may be by means of changing an existing computer model of the 3-D virtual store in response to changes made to an existing set of planogram data corresponding to the existing computer model of the 3-D virtual store.

According to the third aspect of the present invention there is also provided a method of generating a planogram data from such a common data structure. The generating of the planogram data may be by means of changing existing planogram data in response to changes made to an existing computer model of the 3-D virtual store corresponding to the existing set of planogram data.

The present invention also provides a computer programmed to perform the method of any of all steps of the third aspect of the invention. The present invention also provides a software product for programming a computer to convert it into such a programmed computer.

In the present patent specification, the term

"virtual" is used in connection with products, environments and the like. It will be understood that the term "virtual" as used in such context is intended to convey the meaning that the thing in question (i.e. virtual product or virtual environment) is represented by data on a computer and displayed to the user via a display apparatus as an image representative of the virtual thing in real life, the image displayed representing the thing in two dimensions or three dimensions as appropriate. Thus, the data required to represent a virtual product on a computer need not specify all characteristics of the real product being represented, but may simply include sufficient data to present a reasonably realistic image of the product as a 2-D or a 3-D image. In the present patent specification, there is mention of displaying 3-D images to a user. It will be understood that the 3-D images displayed may be three dimensional in the sense that the three dimensions can perceived by the user viewing the image despite the image being displayed on, for example, a two dimensional screen.

It will be understood that features described herein with reference to one aspect of the invention may equally be applied to any other aspect of the invention. Thus, the second aspect of the invention may for example utilise a computer model of 3-D store as generated by use of the method of the third aspect of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Various embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figs. la & lb together show a flow-diagram showing the steps performed by means of a method according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 shows a flow-diagram showing the steps performed by means of a method according to a second embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 3 shows a flow-diagram showing the steps performed by means of a method according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 shows a flow-diagram showing the steps performed by means of a method according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

A first embodiment of the invention relates to an on-line supermarket shopping web-site. The web-site has a user interface designed to mimic the benefits and the look and feel of shopping in a real supermarket. In this regard, the user interface is different from present on-line supermarket web-sites which tend to be primarily menu-driven and focussed on textual information concerning products. The user interface presented in the first embodiment relies heavily on graphical elements.

In order to provide an interactive and enjoyable experience to the user of the on-line website, the graphical representations provided to the user need to be pleasing to the eye, and to realistically mimic those images that would be presented to the user if they were to shop in a real supermarket.

An overview of the on-line website will now be described. The user uses a commonly available Internet Browser and logs onto the web- site of a supermarket store, such a web-site being provided from a secure server. The web-site provides to the user access to an on-line virtual supermarket, with which the user may interact and by means of which the user may purchase products sold by the real supermarket. The server has stored on it information concerning the products sold by the real supermarket, such information including price, availability and images of the products concerned. The server also has stored on it digital movies and animations featuring the products sold by the supermarket * and featuring the interior of a virtual supermarket store. The web-site has a number of different modes/features including: Playing an introductory movie clip to enter the virtual supermarket * Displaying a map of the supermarket layout, * Moving from one area in the virtual supermarket to another and playing a 3-D movie showing such movement * Moving to a location in the virtual supermarket on the basis of the location of a given virtual product, * Viewing different virtual products next to each other on shelves in the virtual supermarket * Manipulating a virtual product in three-dimensions * Ascertaining further information concerning a real product represented by a virtual product * Moving along a rack of shelves to view further virtual products next to each other on the shelves, and showing such movement on screen, * Adding a virtual product to a virtual shopping trolley * Purchasing real products, represented by the virtual products in the virtual shopping trolley, for delivery to a specified real address, If the user wants to buy a bottle of organic skimmed milk from the virtual supermarket, the actions performed may be as follows. First, the user logs onto the supermarket's web-site. The server then sends to the user a digital movie clip, which streams a movie showing movement from outside of a virtual supermarket to the inside of the supermarket. On-screen the user sees a 3-dimensional representation of the virtual supermarket, * the image displayed showing the view looking into the virtual supermarket from a position near the entrance.

The 3-D view then fades-out and a 2-D map fades-in, the map showing the layout of the virtual supermarket.

The map indicates that the position of the user in the virtual supermarket is at the entrance of the supermarket and also shows the locations of the departments of the supermarket. The user then uses a pointer on-screen (controlled by a mouse connected to the user's computer) o request to move to the dairy department. The server then sends to the user a digital movie clip, which streams a 3-D movie showing movement from the current position in the virtual supermarket (i.e. at the entrance) to a position in front of a virtual chiller unit having shelves.

The last frame of the movie is faded out and a two-dimensional view fades-in to display dairy products on the shelves of the chiller unit. The virtual products on-screen are different sorts of bottles of milk.

Visible on-screen are bottles of milk not certified as organic. The user moves the pointer to the far left of the 2-D image displayed and the products scroll to the right (representing movement of the user leftwards along the shelves) . Revealed to the left of the products previously visible are packs of butter. Realising that the organic milks must therefore be to the right of the non-organic milks, the user then moves the pointer to the far right of the image. The products thus scroll to the left (representing rightwards movement of the user), thereby revealing different types and sizes of bottles of organic milk.

On the top shelf there are small bottles, coloured blue, green and red. On the middle shelf there are medium-sized bottles, coloured blue, green and red and on

O

the bottom shelf there are large-sized bottles, also coloured blue, green and red. The user being familiar with the branding of the particular supermarket and also being familiar with the sizes of bottles of milk commonly sold, knows that the medium-sized red bottle is a 1 litre bottle of skimmed milk. The user hovers over this bottle with the pointer. At this point, text information is displayed indicating the brand, type, cost and size of the item in question.

The user then drags and drops the virtual bottle into a preview area. At this point the user may manipulate the virtual item in 3-D, and zoom in and out to inspect the product, for example to ensure that the product is one that the user intends to purchase. The user is also presented with options to find out more about the product (a link to another web-page with further more detailed information concerning the product, for example, manufacturing/production methods used, origin of the goods, nutritional information, recipes or other information related or relevant to the product.

After satisfying himself that he wants to purchase the product selected the user drag and drops the product into the virtual shopping trolley. If preferred, instead of initially dragging the 2-D image of the product from the shelf to the preview area, the user could simply drag the image directly to the virtual shopping trolley.

The user may then proceed to the virtual checkout.

On selection by the user to "proceed to checkout", the server sends to the user a digital movie clip, which streams a movie showing movement from the user's present location (in this example, at the dairy chiller cabinets) to the virtual checkouts. The display of the 3-D virtual checkouts then fades out and then a screen displaying the traditional style of on-line shopping web-site "checkout" * fades in. The user then pays for the bottle of milk, specifies a delivery address and exits the web-site, in a manner familiar to the skilled person.

Other functions are however provided by the website.

Some of these are briefly described below.

The user may purchase further items by means of selecting further products. Such further products may be selected in different locations in the virtual supermarket. The user may move to such different locations by means of selecting such further locations from the 2-D map of the supermarket. The user may alternatively move to such different locations by means of translating left or right along the sides of the virtual gondolas, other shelf units and other routes within the virtual supermarket.

During the display of a 3-D walkthrough from one location in the virtual supermarket to another location, the user may interrupt the movie if for example the products that are passed during the walkthrough are of interest to the user. For example, the user's virtual position in the supermarket may pass loaves of bread, which the user may spontaneously decide to purchase. The user may then click a "stop walking button" at which point the 3-D movie stops, fades out and the 2-D representation of the virtual shelves at that position are faded in with the virtual products populated thereon.

Alternatively, the user may select an item in his/her shopping trolley and then move in the supermarket to the location at which said item was originally sourced. However a new location is selected in the supermarket, the server sends to the user a digital movie clip, which streams a 3-D movie showing movement from the previous position in the virtual supermarket to the next position.

The above description provides a broad outline of

the functionality of the present embodiment. There now follows a more detailed description providing further detail or explanation in respect of each of the above-identified different modes/features of the web-site.

Data structure defining the virtual supermarket The virtual supermarket is defined by a data structure defining the position in a Cartesian coordinate system of bays, shelves, and products. For each group of identical products located in the virtual store, the data structure includes information concerning the unique identity code of the product, the number of and spatial relationships between the products in the group, and the position of the key member of the group in the store.

The data structure is associated with a look-up table (also referred to herein as a "DETAILS table") in which images of bays, shelves, products and other objects are stored. The look-up table also provides information concerning the geometrical size, in Cartesian coordinates, of the envelope of the product. The look-up table also provides further optional information (sometimes web-links or pointers to relevant date) concerning each product. Each product entry in the

lookup table has an <interaction> field. This

interaction field is either empty in which case, no sophisticated interaction with the product is, or includes a link (e.g. a pointer, [JRL, or a file name and location) to further data (for example stored in an "INTERACTIVITY table") facilitating further interaction with the product.

From this information, an image of the key member of the group of products may be positioned by a computer in

S

the Cartesian coordinate system of the virtual environment.

Playing an introductory movie clip to enter the virtual S supermarket The playing of an introductory movie clip to enter the virtual supermarket is included to set the context of the shopping experience. It also enable the name, get-up and branding of the store to be displayed prominently to the user. Special offers may be displayed during this initial movie clip.

Displaying a map of the supermarket layout The 2-0 map serves as a navigational tool for the user. The map may display the user's current location in the supermarket.

Showing movement from one area in the virtual supermarket to another by means of a 3-D movie The routes through the virtual supermarket are divided into discrete paths between a discrete number of predefined nodes. Video clips are produced to represent travel from one node to the next. These node-to-node clips are called base clips. There are two base clips per joined pair of nodes, one base clip for travel in each direction.

Video footage of any route through the supermarket may be derived by means of selecting the node-to-node paths that define the route, and playing the base clips associated with each path one after the other. In order to provide seamless video footage to the user, when * downloading discrete video clips over the internet, the first base clip is streamed and played in parallel and, at a fixed time before the end of the current clip, downloading of the next base clip is started so that a seamless transition can be made from the video footage of the current clip to the next clip.

The journey a shopper would takeS from one part to another part of a store is thus able to be replicated by means of the shopper being presented with a seamless sequence of rendered movie clips sequenced in response to the particular journey chosen by the user.

The display of the journey taken from one location to another in a store may serve the purpose of displaying to the user other items of possible interest to the user.

The user is able to interrupt the journey, for example in the event the user sees a product or special offer of interest to him/her. The web-site may then revert to the 2-D image mode in which the user is able to translate his/her position along a virtual aisle.

Moving to a location in the virtual supermarket on the basis of the location of a given virtual product The user is able to view items in the virtual shopping trolley. The user may be able to view items previously purchased. The web-site provides a function of enabling the user to return to the location in the virtual store in which the previous product was located.

This enables the user to purchase similar or related items in the same way as one is able to in a supermarket.

Text based menus that use a tree data structure rarely provide this functionality. Raw meat, such as shoulders of lamb, is unlikely to be classified in a tree data structure next to preserves, such as mint jelly, but in a * real supermarket, the store manager may decide to place jars of mint jelly next to joints of lamb to entice shoppers to make an impulse purchase.

The location of a given product can readily be located by means of its unique product code and then searching the data structure defining the virtual supermarket to ascertain the shelf, bay or other area of the supermarket at which the group of products is located.

Switching between low info/2-D and high info/3-D views of products This feature may be considered as three separate, but related functions, namely (1) viewing different virtual products next to each other on shelves in the virtual supermarket, (2) manipulating a virtual product in three-dimensions and (3) ascertaining further information concerning a real product represented by a virtual product The data required to view different virtual products next to each other on shelves is relatively small compared to the amount of data need to represent the virtual product in three-dimensions and/or represent the further information concerning the product in question.

Details that relate to a given product can include retailers' price, unit size, lists of ingredients, manufacturer's information, preparation instructions, assembly instructions, storage instructions and the like.

Downloading all this information for every product visible on arrival at a selected location in the virtual supermarket would cause undue delay in view of the average broadband bandwidths available, typically of the order of a few Mbits/sec.

An advantage provided by the embodiment in relation to these three separate functions (i.e. (1) viewing the products in 2-D, (2) manipulating the products in 3-D, and (3) ascertaining further detailed information concerning a product) is that the downloading of the large amount of data from the server necessary to facilitate 3-D manipulation and to represent the further information concerning the product is deferred until the user (the client) selects the product of interest. Such deferred data download has benefits in reducing server- side database transactions and also minimising non-required client data downloaded by the user over his/her Internet connection. Figures la and lb (Figure ib, following on from Figure la) illustrate

the steps of the deferred data download process utilised in this embodiment.

The server includes a database of products, each product being assigned a 2-D image, a 3-D image, and further information in a variety of other fields, such fields including unit sizes, prices, ingredients etc. The user's PC is programmed with image display software, able to display 2-D and 3-D static and moving images such as Adobe Flash Player distributed by Macromedia mc, (now a division of Adobe Systems, mc) When the user arrives at a selected location in the virtual supermarket, the database on the server is queried and the required 2-D images of the products are extracted via a server-side scripting language (PHP - "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor", distributed by The PHP Group) in this embodiment) based upon an XML schema.

This step 10 is shown schematically in Fig la. This client-specific XML structure is parsed into the client Flash application. This results in the client computer 12 downloading for each virtual product to be displayed in the region of virtual shelves in view a limited amount of data 14 for each product. The limited data 14 downloaded from the server 16 consists of a representative 2-D image of the virtual product and details of only the locations (indexes) on the server of the other data fields relating to the data providing the 3-D image for manipulation and the other data-heavy product details. By using fields that contain indexes to anticipated future queries of server-side data a deferred data-download approach is taken.

2-D images 22 of products are downloaded via the client Flash application arid are displayed in the virtual supermarket based on their location. A schematic representation of this step 20 is shown in Figure la, which shows images 22 of milk products, both large and small cartons of milk 24a, 24b and large and small bottles of milk 26a, 26b. The same image is replicated a number of times on screen to indicate that amore than one of each product may be purchased and also to replicate the view of a shelf that a real consumer might find in a real supermarket. The display of the 2-D images in the virtual supermarket can be shelf-based either in bays of virtual shelves, ends of virtual aisles (sometimes referred to as gondola ends), or virtual chiller or freezer cabinets or they can be virtual off-shelf displays such as stacks, freestanding shippers or pallets.

In this embodiment, the product data-files are in the form of initially static images or initially animated images. Whichever form the product data-file takes (it producing either initially static or initially animated images) the data-file is additionally provided with interactiviLy feaLures. *

The data-files representing the images to be displayed all include information indicating the areas of the image that are to be considered as being transparent.

Transparency is useful in enabling layering of images of irregular, non-rectangular aspect. The 2-D product images initially downloaded are in the Adobe Flash (formerly Macrornedia Flash) .swf format (a compressed vector graphics file format) which employs a highly efficient lossy compression whilst maintaining image transparency information. Visually comparative files have shown that a swf image with transparency can be one quarter of the size of the same png image (a lossless bitmap image format) with transparency. In addition to smaller file sizes, the swf format has the inherent advantage of being able to be provided as a timeline-based file, i.e. not a static image of a single frame but multiple frames, or multiple instructions, which can alter over time and contain custom code.

A static product, the most commonly used, is a single frame swf displayed with transparency. An animated product is a multiple frame swf file referred to as a movie clip. The animation provided can simply be a visual attract, such as a glow or flash for featured products on display or a rich media or advertising stream not requiring interaction from the user.

As mentioned above, the products displayed on the user's PC 12 may include interactive features.

Interactivity is triggered on the event either of (1) the user moving a pointer 32 on-screen to "hover" over the product or (2) the user moving a pointer and clicking on and dragging the product to the preview area. Only

products with their <interaction> field set can be

dragged to the preview area by the user. Steps 30, 40, and 60 of Figures la and lb illustrate schematically the highlighting, selecting and dragging of an item (in this case a large bottle of milk) to a preview area on screen and the associated flow of data. Step 30 shows the user hovering over an item, a large bottle of milk 26a in this case. The user then drags the product to a preview area 34 on-screen. Once dragged to the preview area 34 the User can interact with the product before adding it to their basket. Interaction of the selected Product can take the following forms: * Viewing in higher resolution * Spinning/viewing from different angles or elevations * Playing animation, video, audio or other rich media clips for the Product The amount of data required to perform any or all of those interactions is large and as such data is not downloaded until it is required

If the <interaction> field of the DETAILS table is

not empty then the INTERACTIVITY table is queried based on the <interaction> index relates to interactivity of the selected product from the list above. This data will include the swap image path and filename should the Product image be dragged to the preview area so that it is seamlessly replaced with a newly downloaded Interactive movie clip once download has completed an appropriate proportion. It will of course be appreciated that the first frame of a movie clip may require interaction, analogous to a DVD menu and that a movie clip may require many frames to be downloaded before it is ready for interaction. The downloading of data relating to a product is deferred until a user's mouse-over of the product (i.e. the on-screen pointer controlled by a mouse by the user hovers over the virtual product) p 38 The user' s computer, when the user mouses-over a product, requests data from the server computer and provides in a pop-up window information including details of the product's full name, price, and size and a link to further downloadable information.

Thus, with reference to steps 30 to 50 of Figs. la and ib, the user's pointer 32 hovers over a product 26a, the client computer 12 sends a request 42 for further information concerning the product 26a to the server 16 (step 40), the server 16 sends the requested further information 52 concerning the product 26a to the client computer 12 (step 50), and the client computer 12 then displays such further information 52 in a pop-up window (not shown in Figure ib) by the product. This further information being text-based is relatively quick to download. As long as the user's pointer 32 continues to hover over the product 26a, the server continues to send data in relation to the product to the user's computer, in anticipation of the user dragging and dropping the product into the preview area 34. If and when the user drags and drops the virtual product into the preview area 34, the client computer continues to receive data from the server to enable the user to manipulate the product and to ascertain further information concerning the product. If the user's pointer is moved away form the product (and the product is not being dragged), then the client computer 12 instructs the server 16 to abort the data download operation.

Once the necessary data has been downloaded from the server, the user may view a high resolution image 62 of the product, manipulate the product in 3-D including for example using manipulation buttons 64 to spin the product on its axis, ascertaining further text based information 66 concerning the product, ascertaining further product p 39.

information via web-links, and/or use a button 68 to purchase the product. The product may be dragged out of the preview panel 34 and dropped (not purchased) or to the shopping trolley (for subsequent purchase) If the user chooses to add the Product to their basket then the Interactive Product is discarded and the originally loaded display Product is added to the shopping basket.

Displaying movement in 2-0 along shelves When the display on the user's computer shows goods on a shelf at a position midway along an aisle, the user may wish to move left or right along the aisle or zoom-in or zoom-out. The images of the products being two-dimensional and repeated are quickly able to be downloaded to the local computer from the server. Once loaded the images may be cached. Thus, if a user zooms out to locate other products along an aisle, and then zooms back in to a location to the left of the original location, and then the user opts to move, whilst zoomed-in, rightwards along the shelf, the local computer displays images already downloaded, and cached, during the zoom-out movement.

Thus, more generally, the software enables the performance of a method of displaying different products to a user of an on-line shopping web-site, wherein the method includes the following steps: receiving at a local computer, from a computer server via a network connection, first visual data in respect of a multiplicity of different products, the local computer displaying, on a display screen visible by the user, a first graphic representation of a collection of the multiplicity of different products, the p 40 first graphic representation being representative of a partial view of a virtual store, subsequently receiving at the local computer, from the computer server via a network connection, both (1) second visual data in respect of further different products, the second visual data relating to a second graphic representation of a collection of further different products, the second graphic representation being representative of a partial view of a virtual store adjacent to the partial view of the virtual store represented by the first graphic representation, and (ii) third visual data in respect of yet further different products, the third visual data relating to a third graphic representation of a collection of yet further different products, the third graphic representation being representative of a partial view of the virtual store adjacent to the partial view of the virtual store represented by the first graphic representation, but being different from the second graphic representation, the user selecting one of a plurality of different directions of movement in the virtual store, the local computer displaying, on the display screen visible by the user, in dependence on the direction selected by the user, one of the second and third graphic representations using one of the second and third visual data, at least some of which data having been downloaded before the user selected the direction of movement. In the erribodiment presently described, the second visual data and the third visual data are downloaded as a result of zooming-out of the image represented by the first visual data. Such data is cached for later use.

Adding a virtual product to a virtual shopping trolley When a user has a selection of goods on display, the user may select a product to purchase simply by clicking on the product shown on the shelf and dragging it to the basket as shown on the display of the computer. Multiple identical products may be purchased by dragging and dropping the products individually. Multiple identical products may be purchased by selecting a group of products dragging and dropping them collectively.

Viewing virtual products in a virtual shopping trolley The products in the virtual trolley may be viewed several at a time. The number viewed on screen simultaneously may be less than the total number in the trolley. The user is able to cycle, selectively forwards or backwards, through the products in the trolley viewing a sub-set of them at any one time. For example, the number of products stored in the trolley may be unlimited (or limited to a high number) whereas the number of products displayed to the user at any one time (at least when using this feature) is a relatively small number, such as a number less than ten, for example 6. The representation of the limited number of products on-screen may be by means of a virtual carousel or conveyor belt of the like, with images of products fading-in and fading-out as the user cycles through the products.

When cycling through products in the virtual trolley the user may select a product and then select any one of a number of different actions. One action might for example be to go to the location in the virtual store from,which the product was originally obtained, so that the user may purchase items of a similar nature.

Purchasing real products.

A user may of course eventually purchase real products represented by the virtual products in the virtual shopping trolley, for delivery to a specified real address. Such functionality will be readily appreciated and within the easy reach of those skilled in the art.

Summary of the first embodiment

The first embodiment of the invention provides a method of shopping on an online website including the step of a) displaying a movie representative of movement from one location in a three dimensional virtual shopping environment to another location in the environment, b) facilitating the selection of items for future purchase at the location in the virtual environment, c) repeating steps a) and b) a plurality of times, and d) then facilitating purchase by a user of items selected for purchase during the repetition of steps a) and b).

One of the features of the first embodiment described above is the provision of 3-D walkthrough movies. Such movies may be completely computer-generated or may comprise footage of a real store, or a combination of both.

The graphic representations are preferably 2-D images. The graphic representations preferably include transparency information. 2-D computerised images are often in the form of rectangular images, whereas products come in a variety of shapes. In order for the display on-screen of the graphic representations of the products p 43.

to appear life-like it is important for the images to have transparency information so that the edges of the virtual product are well-defined. The graphic representations may have been created by photographing real products and converting the photograph, whether digital or otherwise, into suitable data-files. The photographs may be modified to produce the graphic representations. The graphic representations may be rendered at least in part by means of a computer graphics system. For example, a representation of a bottle may created by photographing a flat label taken from a real bottle, providing a computer generated image of a bottle and modifying the 2-D representation of the label and adding it to the computer generated image of the bottle.

A second embodiment relates to the creation by computer of such 3-D movies. In this embodiment, a virtual store interior is created as a realistic computer graphic 3D model. Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) tools and techniques are used to produce rendered movie clips as first-person walkthroughs around the virtual store.

This is achieved by positioning cameras within the 3D model that follow a continuous path through the required areas of the store and each frame of camera motion rendered via a distributed cluster of render nodes, commonly referred to as a render farm. In this embodiment, the render farm is defined by a network of suitably programmed PC5 (running 3D rendering software such as 3D Studio Max or similar) managed by a server (running 3D rendering-node manager software) As described above in relation to the first embodiment (under the sub-section headed "Moving from one area in the virtual supermarket to another and playing a 3-D movie showing such movement"), in order to replicate the journey a shopper would take from one part to another p 44.

part of a store the shopper is presented with a seamless sequence of rendered base movie clips. Each base movie clip may have a play duration of the order of a few seconds and have a file size of the order of the order of a few Mbytes. Each base movie clip, may take many hours to render, as a result of the required level of quality of the movie clip. Thus, the time need to produce all of the base movie clips sufficient to perform the method of the first embodiment may be several days.

The store, who provides the goods sold by the web-site may, from time to time, wish to change the appearance of the virtual store represented on-line. The changes may relate to product positions, product packaging, store-specific graphics and Point of Sale appearance. Such changes are likely to require new base movie clips.

The provider of the base movie clips may need to provide different sets of base movie clips to different on-line store providers. In this case, the layout of the virtual store, and even the positioning of some of the products, may be the same as in a different virtual store for which base movie clips have already been generated.

Such existing base movie clips will however include the branding and get-up that are specific to the owner of the different virtual store and so new base movie clips will be needed.

The second embodiment of the present invention provides a quick and efficient means of providing such new base movie clips, by means of using an existing set of fully rendered base movie clips. The changes needed in order to convert an existing set of base movie clips into a new set of base movie clips are identified. As a result of the 3-D walkthroughs being divided into base movie clips of the movement between nominal nodes in the p virtual store, it is likely that only one base movie will need to be replaced in the event that the changes relates to a change in a single product. It is also likely that only certain frames of that base movie clip will need to be replaced. New supplementary movie clips are then rendered by the render farm within the 3D model, to produce frames relating only to the changes identified, the remainder of each frame being designated as transparent. The frames of this supplementary semi-transparent movie clip are then layered on top of the corresponding frames of the existing base movie clip to produce a new base movie clip incorporating the changes.

If there are multiple changes, particularly if such changes are successively made with time, there may be multiple layers of the base movie clips.

Layering multiple clips over the base movie clip described above enables in-store updates to be quickly replicated in the CG movie clips by rendering, where appropriate, only changes to the image. Each additional clip layer is synchronised with the base movie clip and placed exactly over the base movie clip. These layered movie clips are referred to as Change Layers. This reduces the need to re-render the entire, fully populated store if, for example, one product is to change in appearance.

Layering the movie clips in this way can be used to produce base movie clips from a previous movie clip in many different circumstances, some examples of which include:

1. Overlaying new ceiling-banners and background

store graphics to refresh the store environment, 2. Greying out Products if such Products are temporarily unavailable in store, 3. Greying out Products at Retailer request, * 4. Addition of animated overlays such as staff or shoppers.

In order to reduce render time and increase the flexibility and dynamic nature of the on-line store presentation adding change layers over the base movie clip yields faster rate of implementing a change to movie clips and publishing these changes on-line.

Displaying or not displaying required movie clips for any segment of a store location transition is

achieved by listing change layers in data fields

retrieved during the transition data query of a

"NAVIGATION table".

In the 3D model, a mask' material is assigned to geometry that is not to be visible so that items on Change layers correctly appear in and out of view.

Currently these movie clips are encoded to the Macromedia Flash.flv video format with alpha channel or transparency' data included. The first or base movie clip is a full frame render with no alpha channel.

Subsequent Change layers of fly movie clips can be added over the top of this base clip if they are rendered with an alpha channel. Any media format that has alpha channel support can be used as an alternative to Flash fly.

Figures 2 and 3 shows examples of single frames from base movie clips, and change layer movie clips that when combined produce a new movie clip.

Figure 2 shows a single frame 100 of a base movie clip representing movement experienced during a journey from one location in the store to another location. (The representations of the products are blurred in the schematic drawings provided herewith, but in the real embodiment the representations would include a reasonably accurate reproduction of the branding corresponding to the products being sold.) The base movie clip may have already been used in a movie displayed on a PC different from the computer system used to generate the movie. The movie, being in the form of a finished movie, does not include any representations of signs, for example of overlay promotional products and POS pricing information.

There is also shown a single frame 102 of an overlay movie clip (a "change layer") representing the same instant in the journey as the base movie clip 100. This overlay movie clip represents the relative movement of the signs when moving through the 3-0 environment along the same journey as represented by the base movie clip.

The base movie clip and the overlay movie clip are combined by overlaying the overlay clip on top of the base movie clip to produce a layered movie clip that when played represents the movement through a 3-0 virtual store having products on shelves and signs showing pricing information and the like. A single frame 104 of the final movie clip representing the same instant in the journey as the base movie clip 100 is also shown in Figure 2. The final clip 104 may itself later be used as a base movie clip. Successive movie clips may be produced by adding layer after layer of overlay video in response to successive separate changes to the virtual store. Such multi-layer video clips may be sent to a local computer and/or displayed on a local computer as separate overlaid movie clips, requiring the simultaneous playing of several video layers. The number of simultaneous change layers of synchronous movie clips may be limited by client computer processing capability and/or available Internet data rates. Additionally, or alternatively, the layered clips may be flattened' to form a new single-layer base clip.

Figure 3 shows a single frame 100 of a base movie clip. In this case, the manager of the virtual store wishes not to display a box of canned lager for sale during the playback of a walkthrough movie clip. The box is greyed out by means of overlaying an overlay movie clip (a "change layer") representing the relative movement of the box when moving through the 3-D environment along the same journey as represented by the base movie clip. Figure 3 shows a single frame 106 of an overlay movie clip (a "change layer") representing the same instant in the journey as the base movie clip 100.

The base movie clip and the overlay movie clip are combined by overlaying the overlay clip on top of the base movie clip to produce a layered movie clip that when played represents the movement through the 3-D virtual store, but having the box of canned lager greyed out. A single frame 108 of the final movie clip representing the same instant in the journey as the base movie clip 100 is also shown in Figure 3.

Due to the simplicity of replacing individual frames or multiple frames that form a segment of a walk path the CGI approach to presenting a store environment is advantageous over the real' alternative of constantly re-filming a real store to keep changes up to date.

A third embodiment of the invention, illustrated by Figure 4 enables conversion of the simple Excel-based spreadsheet containing data for producing planograms into the 3-D virtual layout of the supermarket. Equally, if a virtual supermarket is built in the virtual world from scratch, planogram data may be produced automatically from the data defining the 3-D layout.

A retail planogram is a diagram of products and appropriate fixtures that illustrates how and where retail products should be displayed, usually on a store 0 -49-shelf, to make good use of the available space in-store.

There are various designs of planogram but a form commonly used for the shelf-based bay displays that collectively define the majority of most supermarkets interiors (and many other types of retail stores) is the schematic planogram.

Part of a schematic planogram 202 is shown on the display of a computer monitor 200 in Fig. 4. Data in the planogram includes unique product description codes 204 and the number of products to display (not shown) for order and stock purposes, and an x and y axis position for each product when viewed perpendicular to the display front face, shown implicitly in the on-screen representation of the 2-D planogram 202 by means of the scale and location of the boxes represent the volume to be occupied by products relative to the shelves 206.

Such location information can of course be provided explicitly on-screen. Also, the product envelope dimension for the products x and y axis may also be shown either explicitly in the text of the planogram or implicitly from the stated scale. A third (z axis) dimension and location is also,included in the planogram data set so that a three-dimensional position can be defined for every product detailed by the planogram.

A common data structure 210 provides all the data needed to reproduce the planogram shown on-screen. Thus the data structure includes: * for each bay (or gondola), assumed to have a predefined shape, position data 212 defining the position and orientation in the 3-D virtual layout of the bay, * for each shelf of each bay, assumed to have a predefined shape, position data 214 defining the position and orientation in the 3-D virtual layout of the shield, and * for each group of products on each shelf: o the unique product reference code 216 defining the product concerned, o x,y,z position data 218 for each product o x,y,z facing data 220 number of facings of each product in each of the x,y and z axis.

Figure 4 also shows a PC VDU 230 displaying a screen shot 232 of a frame of a movie clip showing a walkthrough along a set path across the store. The movie is generaLed by rendering frames representing movement through a computer model of the virtual 3-D environment.

The 3-D environment is generated with the use of the same common data structure 210. A further product lookup table is required in order to convert the planogram data into the 3-D virtual environment. No further data, in addition to the planogram data needed to define the planogram 202, is needed in order to recreate the data in the common data structure 210. However, in this case a look-up product table 240 is provided, which includes for each product: * the unique product reference code 216 defining the product concerned, * a 3-D fully rendered product image 242 representative of the product, and * x,y,z dimensional envelope data 244 for each product (thereby defining the scale of the product image) Data is held in the common data structure from which multiple planograms can be derived, each planogram relating to a different set of shelves in the store. By accumulating the position data for each planogram (e.g. * the position of each bay in 3-D virtual space) then the 3D position of allproducts detailed may be ascertained A 3DwebShop application produces product images rendered from 3D CGI models of each product created 1:1 scale within the 3D modelling application (Autodesk 3DS Max available from Autodesk mc, USA) . The product images are each defined as a 3D model saved as a 1:1 scale file with coordinate / origin (x,y,z / 0,0,0) being positioned at the bottom, left, front face of the product.

A bi-directional data linkage 250 exists between the planogram data and that of the 3D model facilitated by parsing the planograrn data into the 3D application via a purpose-developed software application (written in MAXScript, from Autodesk, mc) using the common data structure 210. This tool enables product, product dimension and product position data to automatically build' and maintain a 3D model as a representation of a bricks-and-mortar store layout. As any product can be represented within a cuboid dimensional envelope this process can be applied to any products from shelf-based tinned, boxed or packaged goods to larger irregular products such as bicycles or lawnmowers and furniture or artworks.

Changing the planogram data via means of either database or spreadsheet tools or XML schemas will refresh the layout of the 3D model, by means of a change in the common data structure. Conversely, changing the dimensions or position of a product within the 3D model will refresh the 2D planogram schematic to provide a powerful data flow between 2D plan and the 3D model.

Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a particular embodiment, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example, certain variations to the above-described embodiment will now be described.

The store may be in the form of any retail outlet, and the concepts described above may be used for on-line or computerised fashion stores, department stores, hardware stores, electronics stores, computer stores, toy shops, book stores, furniture stores, shopping malls, or any other store in which multiple products are displayed for sale in an ordered fashion.

When the display on the user's computer shows goods on a shelf at a position midway along an aisle, the user may wish to move left or right along the aisle. Such movement may be shown by means of a 2-D animation. Given that the user may move left or right, data can be downloaded in advance and cached so that in the event that the user chooses to effect translational movement along the aisle, left or right, the images are already in the memory of the local computer ready to provide the visual animation required.

The local cache, whether that be the cache used by the internet browser on the local computer or a cache specifically designated by means of the software downloaded onto the local computer, may be used so that if the user wishes to return to a location where images/video clips have previously been displayed to the user and are required again, the local computer does not need to be sent the data again from the server and instead uses the data already stored in the cache.

Other variations of the embodiments described and illustrated herein will of course be apparent to the skilled person. *

Where in the foregoing description, integers or

elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims.

Claims

0 -54.

Claims 1. A method of providing information to a user of an on-line shopping web-site, wherein the method includes the following steps: a) receiving at a local computer, from a computer server via a network connection, visual data in respect of a multiplicity of different products, b) the local computer displaying, on a display screen visible by the user, graphic representations of each of the multiplicity of different products, the graphic representation of each product displayed being represented simultaneously in a multiplicity of different positions on-screen, C) the user selecting one of the multiplicity of different products by means of a user input device associated with the local computer, d) the local computer sending a request for further information concerning the product selected by the user, e) in response to the request sent by the local computer, further data being received by the local computer, from the computer server via the network connection, and f) the local computer providing the further information concerning the product selected by the user to the user via an output device associated with the computer.
2. P. method according to claim 1, wherein the graphic representations displayed in step (b) are in the form of 2-dimensional images. p.55
3. A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the further data representing the further information comprises graphic representations.
4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the further data representing the further information concerning a product is at least twice the size as the data needed to represent the graphic representation of the product displayed in step (b)
5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the data received by the local computer from the server is sent over the Internet.
6. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the data received by the local computer from the server is sent over a connection having a downlink data-transfer rate of between 5l2kBits/sec and l6Mbits/sec.
7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the on-line shopping web-site is in the form of a virtual supermarket.
8. A network comprising a server and a local computer linked by means of a network connection, wherein * the local computer comprises a display screen and a user input device and is programmed with software for -receiving from the server visual data in respect of a multiplicity of different products, -displaying, on the display screen, graphic representations of each of the multiplicity of different products, the graphic representation of each product displayed being represented

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simultaneously in a multiplicity of different positions on-screen, -enabling the selection of one of the multiplicity of different products by means of the user input device, -sending to the server a request for further information concerning a selected product, -receiving from the server further data representing further information concerning the product, -providing the further information concerning the product selected by the user to the user via an output device associated with the computer, and * the server has access to data files concerning both visual data and further information concerning a multiplicity of different products and is programmed with software for -sending to the local computer visual data in respect of a multiplicity of different products, -receiving from the local computer a request for further information concerning a product, and -in response to such a request, sending to the local computer further data representing further information concerning the product.
9. A server arranged for use as the server used in the method of any of claims 1 to 7 or for use as the server of the network as claimed in claim 8.
10. A local computer arranged for use as the local computer used in the method of any of claims 1 to 7 or for use as the local computer of the network as claimed in claim 8. *
11. A software product for programming a server to convert it into a server as used in the method of any of claims 1 to 7 or into a server of the network as claimed in claim 8.
12. A software product for programming a server, the software product comprising * data files concerning both visual data and further information concerning a multiplicity of different products, * a first module that is arranged to cause the server to send to a specified address in a network visual data in respect of a multiplicity of different products, * a second module that is arranged to cause the server to send, in response to a request for further information sent from a specified address in a network, further data representing further information concerning a specified product, and * a third module that is arranged to be downloadable to a computer at the specified address in the network to enable that computer -to display, from visual data received from the server, graphic representations of each of a multiplicity of different products, the graphic representation of each product displayed being represented simultaneously in a multiplicity of different positions on-screen, and -to send to the server a request for further information concerning a selected product.
13. A software product for programming a local computer to convert it into a local computer as used in the method * of any of claims 1 to 7 or into a local computer of the network as claimed in claim 8.
14. A method of producing digital movies, wherein the method comprises the steps of a) making a first digital movie of movement along a set path through a first three-dimensional environment, the first three-dimensional environment comprising a multiplicity of different objects, the digital movie being recorded as computer readable data by means of a first computer system, b) a second computer using the computer readable data concerning the first digital movie to display the first digital movie on a display device attached to the second computer, the second computer being different from the first computer system and being in the form of a personal computer, c) making a second digital movie of movement along the same set path through a second three- dimensional environment, the second three-dimensional environment being based on the first three-dimensional environment but comprising at least one different object that represents a difference between the first and second three-dimensional environments, the making of the second digital movie comprising the steps of: i. creating with a third computer an overlay digital movie of movement along the same set path, the overlay digital movie relating to the relative movement of said at least one different object, and ii. combining the computer readable data relating to the first digital movie with data

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concerning the overlay digital movie to produce computer readable data concerning the second digital movie, and d) a fourth computer using the computer readable data concerning the second digital movie to display the second digital movie on a display device attached to the fourth computer, by playing the first digital movie with the overlay digital movie being overlaid on top of the first digital movie.
15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the making of the first digital movie includes a step of generating a virtual three-dimensional environment comprising the multiplicity of different objects.
16. A method according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the making of the first digital movie includes a step of rendering frames of the digital movie with the first computer system.
17. A method according to any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the step of combining the computer readable data relating to the first digital movie with the data concerning the overlay digital movie is irreversible.
18. A method according to any of claims 14 to 17, wherein the method includes a step in which the second computer retrieves the computer readable data from a computer via the Internet.
19. A method according to any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the step in which the second computer displays the first digital movie is performed during the use of the * second computer in a method shopping on an on-line web-site, and the step in which the fourth computer displays the second digital movie is performed during the use of the fourth computer in a method shopping on an on-line web-site.
20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the on-line web-site is in the form of a virtual supermarket.